Digitizer, signal transmission device, digitizer device and control methods thereof

• US 10,884,531 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2018
• Issued: 01/05/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd., Hefei BOE Optoelectronics Technology Company Limited (BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yang, Huaiwei, Li, Dandan, Yu, Chaozhi
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Jr., Duane N
• Application Number:
  US16/169,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20190121478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03542 Light pens for emitting or receiving light
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04162 for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means

Abstract

A digitizer, a signal transmission device, a digitizer device and control methods thereof are provided. The digitizer includes an operating panel and a first processor. The operating panel is provided with multiple photoelectric sensors. The multiple photoelectric sensors receive an external optical signal, convert the optical signal into an electric signal, and transmit the electric signal to the first processor. The first processor is configured to determine, in accordance with the electric signal, a location where the optical signal is received.

Claims

1. A digitizer, comprising:

an operating panel; and

a first processor;

wherein the operating panel is provided with a plurality of photoelectric sensors coupled to the first processor;

wherein the plurality of photoelectric sensors are configured to receive an optical signal, convert the optical signal into a first electric signal, and transmit the first electric signal to the first processor; and

wherein the first processor is configured to determine, in accordance with the first electric signal, a location of a photoelectric sensor of the plurality of photoelectric sensors, and wherein the photoelectric sensor has received the optical signal.

2. The digitizer according to claim 1, wherein the operating panel is a display panel comprising a plurality of pixel units arranged in an array form, and there is a one-to-one correspondence between locations of the plurality of photoelectric sensors and locations of the plurality of pixel units;

and

wherein the first processor is further configured to control the display panel to cause a pixel unit, corresponding to the location of the photoelectric sensor which has received the optical signal, to emit light.

3. The digitizer according to claim 1, further comprising a display panel coupled to the first processor, wherein the first processor is further configured to control, in accordance with the location of the photoelectric sensor which has received the optical signal, the display panel to display.

4. The digitizer according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of photoelectric sensors is further configured to acquire a flicker frequency of the optical signal, convert the optical signal having the flicker frequency into a second electric signal, and transmit the second electric signal to the first processor, and wherein the first processor is further configured to control, in accordance with the second electric signal, the display panel to display a line.

5. The digitizer according to claim 4, wherein the first processor is configured to determine, in accordance with a frequency of the second electric signal, a thickness of the line corresponding to the second electric signal, and wherein the thickness of the line varies with the frequency of the second electric signal.

6. The digitizer according to claim 4, wherein the first processor is configured to determine, in accordance with a pre-stored correspondence between a frequency of an electric signal and a thickness of a line, a thickness of the line corresponding to the second electric signal.

10. A method for controlling a digitizer, applied to the digitizer according to claim 1, comprising:

receiving, by a photoelectric sensor of the plurality of photoelectric sensors, an optical signal, and converting the optical signal into a first electric signal;

transmitting, by the photoelectric sensor, the first electric signal to the first processor; and

determining, by the first processor, in accordance with the first electric signal, a location of the photoelectric sensor which has received the optical signal.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein when the operating panel is a display panel or the digitizer further comprises a display panel, the method further comprises:

controlling, by the first processor, in accordance with the location of the photoelectric sensor which has received the optical signal, the display panel to display.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

acquiring, by the photoelectric sensor, a flicker frequency of the optical signal, and converting the optical signal having the flicker frequency into a second electric signal;

transmitting, by the photoelectric sensor, the second electric signal to the first processor; and

controlling, by the first processor, in accordance with the second electric signal, the display panel to display a line.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein a thickness of the line corresponding to the second electric signal is determined by the first processor in accordance with a frequency of the second electric signal, and wherein the thickness of the line varies with the frequency of the second electric signal.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein a thickness of the line corresponding to the second electric signal is determined by the first processor in accordance with a pre-stored correspondence between a frequency of an electric signal and a thickness of a line.

7. A digitizer device, comprising a digitizer and a signal transmission device;

wherein the digitizer comprises an operating panel and a first processor, the operating panel is provided with a plurality of photoelectric sensors coupled to the first processor, the plurality of photoelectric sensors are configured to receive an optical signal, convert the optical signal into a first electric signal, and transmit the first electric signal to the first processor, and the first processor is configured to determine, in accordance with the first electric signal, a location of the photoelectric sensor of the plurality of photoelectric sensors, and wherein the photoelectric sensor has received the optical signal; and

wherein the signal transmission device comprises a light source configured to generate an optical signal.

8. The digitizer device according to claim 7, wherein the signal transmission device further comprises a stroboscope, a pressure sensor and a second processor, the pressure sensor is coupled to the second processor, and configured to detect a pressure applied to the signal transmission device, and transmit the pressure to the second processor, the second processor is further coupled to the stroboscope and configured to generate a flicker frequency of the optical signal corresponding to the pressure, and transmit the flicker frequency to the stroboscope, and the stroboscope is further coupled to the light source, and configured to control the light source to generate the optical signal having the flicker frequency.

9. The digitizer device according to claim 8, wherein the optical signal received by the photoelectric sensor is the optical signal generated by the signal transmission device;

and wherein the pressure applied to the signal transmission device is a pressure applied when a pattern is drawn by the signal transmission on the digitizer.

15. A method for controlling a digitizer device, applied to the digitizer according to claim 7, comprising:

generating, by the light source of the signal transmission device, an optical signal, when a pattern is drawn by the signal transmission device on the digitizer;

receiving, by a photoelectric sensor of the plurality of photoelectric sensors of the digitizer, the optical signal, and converting the optical signal into a first electric signal;

transmitting, by the photoelectric sensor, the first electric signal to the first processor; and

determining, by the first processor, in accordance with the first electric signal, a location of the signal transmission device.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein when the operating panel is a display panel or the digitizer further comprises a display panel, the method further comprises:

controlling, by the first processor, in accordance with a location of the photoelectric sensor which has received the optical signal, the display panel to display.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the signal transmission device further comprises:

a stroboscope, a pressure sensor and a second processor;

the pressure sensor is coupled to the second processor, and configured to detect a pressure applied to the signal transmission device, and transmit the pressure to the second processor;

the second processor is further coupled to the stroboscope and configured to generate a flicker frequency of the optical signal corresponding to the pressure, and transmit the flicker frequency to the stroboscope; and

the stroboscope is further coupled to the light source, and configured to control the light source to generate the optical signal having the flicker frequency; and

the method further comprises;

detecting, by the pressure sensor, a drawing pressure, and transmitting the drawing pressure to the second processor, when a pattern is drawn by the signal transmission device on the digitizer and the drawing pressure is applied to the signal transmission device;

determining, by the second processor, a flicker frequency of the optical signal corresponding to the drawing pressure;

controlling, by the stroboscope, the light source to generate the optical signal having the flicker frequency;

receiving, by the photoelectric sensor of the digitizer, the optical signal having the flicker frequency, and converting the optical signal having the flicker frequency into a second electric signal;

transmitting, by the photoelectric sensor, the second electric signal to the first processor; and

controlling, by the first processor, in accordance with the second electric signal, the display panel to display a line.